The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-10-20
Who is Robbing YOu?

We appeal to every producer, mer
chant and mechanic Of Howard
county to disrobe himself OF partisan
politics, and to honestly seek on,
| who it is that IL robbing him AM
how it is done. We ask you to come
not as democrat, a republican, {
union labor man, but simply as al
American citizen seeking aftel
truth. that you may thereby better
your conditions and the condition o.
humanity.
We have faith in the integrity Of
the mass Of mankind OF every party
and creed.
Did you ever pause to consider why
the institution Of slavery was never
interfered with by either the wing OF
the democratic party. II not, call to
mind the fact that the law maker.
then chosen, whether wing or demo.
crat were equally interested as the
owners of slave property in protect
ing and perpetuating the institution.
And SO it is now. Every great mo-
nopo!y created by the republican par.
ty leaders in the last twenty years to
Cypress and rob labor has, perhaps,
az many shareholders in the demo
cratic, rs in the republican party.
Without intending to perpetuate
these oppressive agencies the people
have been deceived into voting for
law makers who were in some man
ner interested, as principal or agent,
in perpetuating these corporate mo-
nopolies. The masses were honest.
but under the cry of loyalty to party,
have voted their own enslavement.
1t is not easy to enumerate the var
ious robber systems Of the country
in which the responsible party lead
ers Of both parties are about equally
interested, and equally incapable Of
giving needed relief A few Of them
we note a. follows:
The National Banks we arraign az
the Prime Robber. Without rendering
and iota Of service to the great in.
dustries, they have paid all the salar.
les of their clerks and officers during
the past ten years and have made in
clear profits, $500, 600, 900.
The Boards of Trade. only valuable
in cornering the markets to rob con.
sumner and producer alike in the last
ten years have robbed productive in
dustries Of 81, 500, 900, 900.
The corporate monopolistic system
Of railroads have enabled q few rail
road kings during the past ten years
to take from the producers Of the
country $4,000, 900, 900, more than .
fair and just equivalent for the ser
vices rendered.
The Standard Oil robber, by mean
Of unjust freight rates, first destroyed
all competition and since then hal
robbed the public Of more than 81,
600, OOO,OO
The telegraph monopoly during
the past ten years, has taken from In
dustry $5OO, OOO, 900, more than . fai
equivalent for the services rendered.
The Fire Insurance companies ha
taken $3.50, OOO, 600 in ten years, NOR
than it has paid back to the peopl
in losses.
Six men control the output of Goa
In the coal regions Of Ohio, Pennsyl
vania and Virginia. They limit tn
production and regulate the price a
their greed dictates without regar,
to the dictates Of humanity, or tn
good and welfare Of the country.
All these varied monopolies shoul,
be controlled aud regulated by jus
legal enactments, and in default Q
obedience to such law, let the gov
eminent under the right Of eninen
domain, assume control and operat'
them for the public good. But Meth
ca legal control or government own
ership can be obtained while tn
owners of these monopolies are mad
our law givers.
II the people are ever saved fron
rapacity it must be through the unit
ed, intelligent. independent action Q
the people at the ballot box. Tn
contest is not between the employees
and the employers, but between tn
toilers aud the idlers, between pro
ducers and non.producers, between
the workers and the drones which
consume the honey.
1t will not be sufficient to expel tn
drones; their right to be in the hiv
must be abrogated, the system Q
laws that leased them the hive mus
be changed.